For Jeff's argument, read this, and wonder why it's titled "Return of the Schwing" when Pee-Wee never used that word. Did Jeff mean "Schwinn," like the bike Pee-Wee lost in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure? The world may never know.
Let me begin by acknowledging the points on which I agree with Jeff:
- The "I'm So Excited" episode is, indeed, the best episode of SBtB, hands down.
- The Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie sucked. And Paul Reubens was the best thing in it.
- That's it.
Maybe it's because I grew up on John Waters, or because my parents are...who my parents are, but I'm a huge fan of camp. And you can't argue that Pee-Wee isn't camp. It began as a stage show, which parodied children's shows with racy dialogue, and was certainly meant for adults. (Several characters from that show later popped up on the kids' show, most notably Jambi, Kaptain Karl, and Miss Yvonne.) That show was developed into Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (co-written by Phil Hartman, and directed by Tim Burton), which was then developed into Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
I watch (and enjoy!) the show for several reasons. Nostalgia is certainly one of them. I have fond memories of watching this show with my brother on Saturday mornings. Nostalgia isn't the only reason, though. I like the theme song, sung by Cyndi Lauper. I like to see what I consider to still be a parody of children's shows. I like to hear the double entendres that went completely over my head when I was a kid. I like to turn off my brain sometimes and laugh at simple inanity.
And I like to see The Man Who Would be Morpheus in a jheri curl and chaps, speaking in a south-western accent.
Jeff was wrong in comparing Pee-Wee to Sesame Street and The Teletubbies. Sesame Street is earnest and educational. Pee-Wee is neither of those two things, especially not earnest. Teletubbies is nonsense, aimed at pre-verbal infants. Pee-Wee is certainly nonsense, but of a very different kind. It's not aimed at the pre-verbal, but at people who have a grasp on language and can laugh at the nonsense therein.
There are parts I could do without, of course (the fish tank and the door-to-door salesman spring to mind), but I would never let go of a future Emmy/Tony/Helen Hayes nominee delivering the mail, or Blacula-cum-Othello creeping me out with vintage cartoons.
Gentlemen, the ball is in your respective courts.
2 comments:
Before I read your blog, I stumbled upon PWPH on Adult Swim last night. I, like Jeff, decided to watch to remind myself why my brothers and I were such avid watchers on Saturday mornings. I must wholeheartedly agreed with you, Jenn, that there's something deliciously campy and fun about the show. Granted, it doesn't hold my attention the way it used to, but I still find the show's oddness fascinating. I wonder more at the producers who decided it was good for kids. The episode I watched entailed Pee Wee having a cold. He should have stayed in bed, but instead had a dance party and then launched into a random monologue about all the fun things one can do with a pair of giant underpants (ie. wear them like a vest, pretend to be a nun, make a swing, etc.). It hadn't occured to me as a child how naughty Miss Yvonne is. Nor did my younger self find it ironically funny when the secret word of the day was "out." (Pee Wee then made a fort and there was a big joke about him "coming out of the fort.") I remember actually looking forward to watching Pee Wee's Xmas special, complete with Charro and the addition to the playhouse made entirely of fruitcake. I don't think the show is really meant for young tots. While they may be distracted by the ADD-ish structure to the show, the vast majority of the humor would pass over their heads. Much like "The Simpsons," a show I thought was funny when I was a kid but I now realize I was missing 90% of the humor. I don't plan on making a point to watch PWPH on Adult Swim, but if I happen to stumble upon it as I did last night, I will happily indulge. So, Jenn, you've got one for your side.
Thanks, Allie! Good to know I have at least one person on my side!
Also good to know you're not freezing up in those...cold...Minnesota...summers. Seriously, though, I heard it was almost as hot there as it was here last week.
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